MYTH: “AS A CHRISTIAN, LIFE WILL BE ALL GOOD. IT WILL GO MY WAY.”

DON’T BE SURPRISED

1 Peter 4:12-13 (NLT) 12Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

WHAT TRIALS HAVE YOU FACED THAT HAVE THROWN YOU OFF GUARD?

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD

Romans 8:35-36 (NLT) 35Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” 37No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

WHAT EVENTS IN YOUR LIFE HAVE CAUSED YOU TO DOUBT THAT GOD’S LOVE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR SUFFERING?

THROUGH IT ALL…

•  Through our sin, God still loves us.
•  Through our hardships and hard circumstances, God still loves us.
•  Through Satan’s lies, God still loves us.
•  Through silence, God still loves us.
•  Through failure, God still loves us.
•  Through addiction, God still loves us.

EVEN IF… (DANIEL 3:1-30)

•  Even if your health problems never go away.
•  Even if your marriage continues to struggle.
•  Even if your kids continue to stray.
•  Even if you lose your job.
•  Even if people look down at you as a Christian.
•  Even if God feels distant.
•  Even if you stumble and struggle with sin.

HOW DO I MAKE IT THROUGH SUFFERING IF LIFE ISN’T WORKING OUT THE WAY I THOUGHT IT WOULD?

•  Fill your mind with God’s word (the Bible).

• •  What does it look like for you to fill your mind with God’s word?

•  Take captive every thought. (see 2 Corinthians 10:5)

• •  What thoughts do you need to take captive in your life?

•  Be transparent. Let godly people in.

• •  Who are people you can let into your life to walk with you?

•  Test your feelings against the word of God.

• •  What feelings are you needing to look at and test with the word of God?

COURAGEOUS: Not deterred by danger or pain.1

TAKE AWAY QUESTIONS 1) What stood out to you in the message; what are you wanting to remember? 2) What beliefs about God’s goodness do you need to revisit and believe so you can have courageous faith?

QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS IN LIFE GROUP OR WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Myth to bust: “If I am a Christian, life should be easy.”

Passages to consider: John 16:33; James 1:2-5; Joshua 1:7-9

1.  Share an insight you had from the sermon this week.
2.  Read John 16:33 & Joshua 1:7-9 What truths and promises do you see in these passages?
3.  Who has modeled courageous faith—fighting the right fights, standing firm—to you? (It can be a person you know, someone from the Bible or history, etc.) A) What do you see in them?
4.  When life is not easy or not what you expected, how do you usually respond? A)How is your relationship with Jesus and His people impacting what you expect and/or how you respond?
5.  What are courage-builders in your life? What are courage-busters?
6.  What is God showing you to meditate on or to approach differently this week?
7.  This is the last week of the Myth Buster series. What has been impacting your thoughts and actions from it?